The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Colocasia commonly known as the taro plant or elephant ears. Colocasia is grown as a food crop or for use as an ornamental for container or the landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Colocasia esculenta and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘HAWAIIAN PUNCH’.
Colocasia is a tuberous rooted perennial which is native to tropical Asia and Polynesia. It grows to 1.5-2 m in height from starchy tubers. The leaves of Colocasia are heart-shaped and very large in size. The tuberous roots are cooked and eaten as a starchy staple in many tropical areas. It is also grown as ornamental plants for the landscape in warmer climates or as a container plant in colder areas.
The new Colocasia variety named ‘HAWAIIAN PUNCH’ is the product of a formal breeding program carried out in a cultivated area in Kula, Hi. The purpose of the breeding program is to develop new commercial varieties by combining attributes not found in currently commercially available varieties.
‘HAWAIIAN PUNCH’ is a seedling selection from the controlled pollination between the female parent variety ‘2000-37’ (unpatented) and male parent breeding line ‘2006-614’ (unpatented). Initially designated as ‘2007A-340’, ‘HAWAIIAN PUNCH’ was derived as a single plant selected in 2007.
‘HAWAIIAN PUNCH’ exhibits large semi-glossy medium green colored leaves with red margins and red venation on the underside of the leaves. ‘HAWAIIAN PUNCH’ produces glossy red colored petioles.
‘HAWAIIAN PUNCH’ may be compared to its parents as follows: The leaves are ⅓ to ½ times larger than its male parent and 2 to 3 times larger than its female parent. The male parent, ‘2006-614’, exhibits greenish-purple colored leaves with a glossy finish, a smooth margin, and light purple venation. The petioles are green in color with a matte finish. The female parent, ‘2000-37’ exhibits smaller violet leaves with a purple spot on the upper leaf surface at the point of leaf and petiole attachment and an undulating margin. The petioles are slightly red in color. In these aspects, this new variety differs from its parents.
The closest comparison variety in commerce known to the inventor is ‘Blue Hawaii’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,003). ‘HAWAIIAN PUNCH’ may be compared with ‘Blue Hawaii’ as follows: Whereas ‘HAWAIIAN PUNCH’ produces prominent red venation on the underside of the leaves with a red undulating leaf margin. ‘Blue Hawaii’ produces bluish-purple colored venation and a bluish-purple undulating leaf margin. ‘HAWAIIAN PUNCH’ produces uniform glossy, red colored petioles compared with the semi-glossy, dark burgundy colored petioles of ‘Blue Hawaii’.
The most commonly employed means of asexual propagation of the genus Colocasia is the excision and replanting of a shoot which consists of the apical 1 cm-2 cm portion of the plant corm with the attached basal 15 cm-20 cm portion of the petiole. In regions of the world where Colocasia is grown, this plant shoot is known as a “huli”, and the means of propagation is known as “huli propagation”. Asexual propagation by huli propagation of ‘HAWAIIAN PUNCH’ began in 2007 in Kula, Hi. by the inventor using huli propagation whereby the apical shoots are separated from the plant by cutting the shoot at the top of the corm immediately above the newest leaf scar and planted. Evaluation in field and pot studies have shown the unique features of ‘HAWAIIAN PUNCH’ to be stable, uniform, and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.